The platform grew silent again after the Champion disappeared.
For a long moment, none of them moved.
Charizard stood where the battle had ended, tail flame swaying slowly in the pale air of the Champion Zone. The fire burned steady—no longer aggressive, no longer restrained—just stable.
Doublade hovered beside Eren, its twin blades rotating slowly again, the spectral bond between them humming quietly like a calm heartbeat.
Lia finally exhaled.
"That felt… different."
Eren nodded.
"Because that wasn't survival training. That was acknowledgment."
Charizard's level increase to Lv. 61 had not come with the usual sensation of growth. Instead, the change felt subtle—its movements smoother, its breathing more efficient, its fire circulating with slightly greater precision.
Champion-level growth was never explosive.
It was refinement.
The Zone Responds
They stepped down from the platform.
The pale landscape around them remained endless, but Lia noticed something subtle had changed.
The world no longer watched them with suspicion.
It watched them with interest.
The system interface flickered briefly.
[Champion Zone Standing Updated]Status: Recognized ParticipantAdditional Trials: Possible
Lia read the message twice.
"So now the real training begins?"
Eren gave a small smile.
"No. Now the real politics begins."
She frowned.
"Politics?"
"Champions are not just fighters," he said calmly. "They're the people who shape the balance of the world."
Charizard rumbled softly as if agreeing.
The Watchers Reveal Themselves
They hadn't walked far when the air shifted again.
This time, there was no distortion.
No hidden presence.
Three figures appeared on the horizon, standing calmly as if they had always been there.
Champions.
Lia recognized the sensation immediately—the same reality-bending presence she had felt earlier.
But this time the pressure wasn't directed at them.
It was neutral.
One of the Champions spoke first.
"You lasted longer than expected."
His voice carried easily across the distance.
The second Champion crossed her arms.
"The Gallade test didn't remove them."
The third simply observed silently.
Lia looked toward Eren.
"Are we in trouble?"
"No," he said calmly.
"Now they're curious."
A Different Kind of Challenge
The first Champion stepped forward.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a relaxed expression that somehow made him feel even more dangerous.
"You're the pair who climbed the High Elite realm unusually fast," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Lia didn't deny it.
"Yes."
His gaze shifted toward Charizard.
"Your fire control is impressive."
Then toward Doublade.
"And your spectral balance is unusual."
He paused.
"So let's see something simpler."
He reached for a Poké Ball.
Lia's heartbeat quickened again.
But when the ball opened, the Pokémon that emerged surprised her.
A sleek blue Pokémon with blade-like arms and a tall crest on its head.
Lucario.
The Champion shrugged.
"Not a serious battle. Just a demonstration."
Lucario stepped forward calmly, aura faintly visible around its body.
Charizard's tail flame flickered.
Doublade rotated slightly faster.
They could both sense it.
This Lucario was stronger than Gallade.
Testing Pressure
"Ready?" the Champion asked casually.
Lia nodded.
Charizard stepped forward again.
Lucario lowered its stance.
Then it moved.
The speed shocked Lia.
Lucario crossed the distance instantly, aura flaring around its fist as it struck toward Charizard's chest.
"Block!"
Charizard raised its arm.
The impact exploded with a burst of compressed energy.
Charizard slid backward across the stone, claws scraping against the ground.
Lucario didn't follow.
Instead, it stepped back calmly, observing.
Eren spoke quietly beside Lia.
"That was a Champion-level strike."
Charizard growled softly.
Not anger.
Excitement.
Doublade Responds
Before Lia could issue another command, Doublade moved.
The twin blades flashed forward, striking toward Lucario from two angles simultaneously.
Lucario pivoted smoothly, blocking one blade with its forearm while stepping aside from the second.
The clash rang sharply.
Lucario smiled.
Then its aura flared again.
It vanished from sight.
The next instant—
It appeared between Charizard and Doublade.
A pulse of aura energy erupted outward.
Both Pokémon were forced backward by the shockwave.
The platform trembled.
The observing Champions exchanged glances.
The Battle Stops
The dark-haired Champion raised his hand.
Lucario immediately stepped back.
"Enough."
Charizard stopped advancing.
Doublade returned to its hovering position.
The Champion studied them carefully.
Then he laughed softly.
"You're not weak."
The system chimed quietly again.
Charizard — Level Increase:Lv. 61 → Lv. 62
Doublade — Level Increase:Lv. 61 → Lv. 62
Lia blinked.
"Just from that?"
Eren nodded.
"In this zone, recognition creates growth."
A New Invitation
The Champion returned Lucario to its Poké Ball.
Then he pointed toward the distant horizon.
"Further inside the Champion Zone," he said, "there's a place called the Trial Valley."
Lia listened carefully.
"That's where real Champions sharpen themselves."
He smiled slightly.
"If you want to belong here… eventually you'll have to go there."
The three Champions turned and began walking away.
Within seconds, they vanished into the pale distance.
Lia looked toward the horizon where they had pointed.
The Champion Zone stretched endlessly.
Somewhere inside it was a place even stronger trainers feared.
Charizard's flame burned brighter.
Doublade's blades hummed softly.
Eren crossed his arms.
"Well," he said calmly.
"That sounds interesting."
Lia smiled.
"Yes."
For the first time since entering the Champion Zone—
they had a destination.